Rewrite: Zelda: a Feudal Fairy Tale
by lilbigEnano96
Summary: A rewrite of my other fic.Life is hard for Toboe. Being the son of a great and powerful demon doesn't help either. But when the neighboring land of Hyrule is in distress, Toboe is faced with the impossible, lead a small group to the sacred lands and retrieve the legendary Triforce. Full summery inside.
1. Chapter 1

**As the Title says, a rewrite of my other fic of the same name (Which I never finished, because, let's face it, it was bad) Hopefully this one turns out ok at least. A few things before we get started. If you've read my original fic, you'll know that this dosn't not in any way follow the Zelda timeline. This is a completly diffrent story with a bunch of Zelda charcters from diffrent games thrown in there. (As well as a few of my own). I don't know when I'll update cuz I'm working on another zelda fic at the moment. And lastly, THERE WILL BE ZELDA/LINK. Just thought I'd clear that out before starting. Alright enjoy.**

**Full summery:**

**Life is hard for Toboe. Being the son of a great and powerful demon doesn't help either. But when the neighboring land of Hyrule is in distress, Toboe is faced with the impossible, lead a small group to the sacred lands and retrieve the legendary Triforce. Toboe is forced to put up with the-would- be hero, along with a princess turned imp, a monk with an obsession for his pompadour, and a woman who claims she is from another era. Why do things like this always seem to happen to him?**

**Rewrite: Zelda: a Feudal Fairy Tale**

**Chapter 1: **

**Harkinian's last resort:**

It was already growing dark when King Harkinian stepped out into the balcony overlooking the court yard. His gaze wondered towards the stars and then, perhaps for the billionth time that day, he cursed. His thought went back to his daughter, the fair and beautiful princess, Zelda. The aging man fought back the urge to shed tears, although he found them to be almost necessary. Despite the effort of some of the best magicians and healers scattered across the land, the princess had not awakened from her enchanted sleep. *Damn the evil bastard who did this,* the good king thought, bailing his hands into fists as unwanted memories flooded his mind. *First I lost my wife, my Queen, to illness, and now…Zelda…my precious daughter…*

"Your Highness," he heard a voice behind him. Without turning, the man already knew who it was. "It's done. Now all that remains is to wait."

The old man breathed, "Impa," he said quietly, almost in a murmur, "My only hopes of seeing this nightmare end lies in that boy and, of course in his companion." It was true, had his prime not left him, King Harkinain would have personally gone out to find the youth; this was of how urgent the situation was. *It is time for you to uphold your end of the bargain my old friend. If only I were as young as I once was, I would not call upon you and give you my burdens.*

"Forgive me for prying your highness," the Shiekah warrior said as she walked over to join him, "but what exactly does this youth owe you?" Impa had never seen this man in person. She had only heard of him from the King, and from what she could gather, the king and him have a history, one that was made even before she arrived to the castle to serve as the princess's nursemaid and bodyguard. The king let out a sigh and turned to her.

"I," he began but took a few moments to recollect his thoughts; "I helped him once, with a personal matter. One that required me to travel to his homeland, this happened a few months before you arrived at the castle."

"Nearly a decade ago then, and you knew him before then?"

The king nodded before continuing, "In exchange for my help, he offered me his aid, should the need ever arise." The King let out another sigh, "I felt guilty of course, for he had already helped me in the past, but nevertheless accepted."

"And you have complete faith in this hero?" The Shiekah woman asked raising a brow in question, what surprised her was when the king gave a weak yet amused laugh.

"You misunderstand Impa," he said gazing at the stars up overhead, "the person I speak of is not the hero." He beckoned her to walk with him to the throne room. "No," he continued as the walk silently along the brightly colored halls, "this person, he is the hero's guide, and at times he will also be his protector. _He _will find the chosen hero." They passed a portrait that had King Harkinian and Princess Zelda as well as her mother, Lady Harkinian. "This guide, he is special," the king continued, "he is different than you and me. He can outrun my finest and fastest horses see things otherwise overlooked, and he possesses an incomparable amount of strength." The King stopped and chuckled softly, "And his sense of smell is also expected to be unmatchable."

Impa, as anyone would, had her doubts. However, she knew more than anyone else that the king was not the type of man to fib, in especially this strange tale he had recited her. "This person you speak of, is could such a man truly exist?" Impa had the impression that she was being told a fairy tale.

"Yes…in the land across the sea." He finally answered, deciding whether or not to tell Impa the rest, "There, is his homeland, and where you sent your men. East of the great sea, there lies a land where men like him blend in with society." He paused to give a rough cough before continuing , "It might sound as if I am telling you a fable, but my dear friend, all that I have told you so far is nothing but the absolute truth." The old King then turned to face her, "It is up to you whether you believe me or not."

Impa nodded, "I do sire," she said truthfully earning a smile from him, "please, of what race is this guide? My men, they didn't see him, they stood outside a den and requested his presence at your court." The king spaced out for a few seconds, lost in thought before answering her.

"We-we don't have a name for them, for there are many of different origins, all that we know is that the few Hylians who have ever laid eyes on them call them different names. The most popular one being _Youkai." _

"Youkai," Impa repeated now absorbed into the story his Highness was sharing with her.

The man nodded, "Aye, and you'll have the honor of meeting him tonight. If all goes well, the princess will rejoin us very soon." The King, by this point would've gone to the Princess's chambers and sat next to her bedside, remembering fond memories of his daughter. Tonight however, he sat in his throne with Impa by his side, patently waiting for the youkai's arrival.

"But sire that can't be," Impa said scratching the back of her head, "It took the men at least two weeks getting there and back. He cannot possibly…can he?" There was a long pause filled with dead silence in which Impa could hear her own heartbeat. King Harkinian gave the Sheikah a warm smile.

"Impa," he said quietly as he paused to have another coughing fit, "would you kindly tell the good cook to prepare us some calming warm tea? A fierce storm is set for tonight and I believe our friend would like something hot to drink when he arrives." Impa, still skeptical of the arrival of this guide and of the storm, simply nodded and went down to the kitchen.

Impa walked back with a pot of tea and three cups. As she passed by a stained glass window, she saw a flash of lightning and pretty soon, she heard the pounding of rain. *His Highness was right about the rain,* Impa observed hearing the distant sounds of thunder not far. *I wonder if this person will show up or not.* She thought to herself as she returned to the throne room, giving the king his cup and taking her own. The liquid warming her from head to toe as she sipped from it, Impa glanced over to the King who was staring dead ahead as if he were a statue. The only sound Impa could hear at this point was the heresy of the rain outside and the occasional roaring of thunder. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the king let out a sigh of relief.

"He is here." He said simply, and through the half lit torches that illuminated the castle, Impa saw him, or rather, she saw _it_. The last thing the Shiekah warrior expected to see was a wolf strolling into the throne room. The wolf was pure white and had unnatural blood red eyes. Although Imp did not see savageness behind them, she saw wisdom and experience. Nevertheless, the Sheikah had her hand close to her dagger and her eyes to the beast. It stopped and looked at Impa, seeing what she was planning to do. It took a few steps back and something that resembled a growl escaped its throat. "It's alright Impa," the King said softly, "he is the guide I was telling you about." Impa had to admit, from the way the king described him, she was sure she would be meeting a man and not a beast. She relaxed and the king beckoned him further. The wolf gave a sort of nod as he continued advancing towards them. "Come my friend," the king told it in a friendly tone, "show us what you really look like." And that's when Impa began to believe. The wolf was only a few feet away from them when he began _changing_.

What stood before the King and Impa was not a beast, but rather a young man that looked as young as seventeen. The youth was wearing what looked like a jacket made almost entirely out of fur, underneath it, he wore a black kosode and matching pants. He had shoulder length hair the color of ebony, and his iris were blood red. Impa noted that he had war paint resembling claw marks on both sides of his face. She also noted that he was barefoot and had nails that resembled claws. "Hey old timer," he said with a smirk, reveling his fangs, "heard you needed my help."

King Harkinian chuckled upon seeing his old friend, "Toboe, how are you?" He gestured towards the pot next to him, "Please sit, I'm surprised you came at all considering you're…dislike for the city type."

The teen shrugged, "You know me, sometimes, I don't like anybody." He walked over to where the pot was and poured himself a cup of tea, his eyes fixed on Impa the entire time. He sat in cross legged in front of the king. "So, the reason I am here would be?"

"Ah yes," the king said starting in his throne, he cleared his throat before continuing, "You see I've summoned you here recently after a tragedy has befallen us. My daughter, Princess Zelda, lies in an enchanted sleep casted by a very powerful wizard." At the mention of the princess in distress, Toboe put down his cup and listened to the situation at hand. "As I feared, nothing has worked, despite our best efforts. And so I turn to you, in hopes that you will help. I must ask you to do the impossible, to travel to the scared palace and obtain the legendary Triforce." The room fell silent after that, as if it were holding its breath. "You have heard of the Triforce, haven't you Toboe?" Toboe nodded and sipped his tea. The legendary Triforce, a gift from the three goddesses that created the earth, and a symbol of their power, yes, Toboe was quite familiar with the legend. It was said that he who possessed them, the Triforce of power, wisdom, and courage would have the power to reshape the world as he desired, and of course, they would be granted one wish. However, said person had to have all three characteristics equally balanced, if they did not, the Triforce would separate into three parts and find a person and bestow its power.

"That plan might work." Toboe admitted draining the cup of its fluids, "But," he cleared his throat, "let's not forget that I can't set foot in the sacred ground unless of course someone with a lot of magic experience lets me in…due to me being only half human."

The King nodded and glanced at Impa, who had a onfused yet startled look on her face, "I have not forgotten that you are the son of the wolf lord that ruled the west, my friend, I know of your inability to enter the sacred land." There was a silence before the king continued. "That is why you will find someone who _can._" Toboe raised his brow at this, was he expected to play the role of a bloodhound sniffing out a worthy candidate? He almost felt insulted, but seeing as it was the King and with this madman wizard on the loose his entire kingdom was at stake he let it slide. Harkinian seemed to read his thoughts, "Make no mistake, your role is much bigger than you think, you are to guide the boy, protect him; give him strength and he will give you strength."

"I see," the boy said quietly, noticing the storm outside had begun to calm, "and where can I find this hero of yours?"

"Of that," the King admitted, "I am not certain of."

*Great,* Toboe thought sighing, *guess now I'd have to go around all of Hyrule to look for one specific person. This is not going to be easy.*

"Might I suggest you search the small villages near Faron Woods," The King said upon seeing the look on the wolf boy's face, "Although it is not as crowded and as populated like here, you'll find some of the best swordsmen there. And, of course, the people there love to have visitors."

"Sounds easy to me, a stroll down the woods is just what I need anyways." The wolf boy sad getting up and starting for the door, but suddenly stopped before exiting, he turned and faced the king. "One more thing I need to know Harkinian," he said in a serious tone, "this wizard that cursed your daughter, did you get a good look at him?"

The King slowly shook his head. "Unfortunately and regrettably, I did not. When he came before me, he was wearing a hooded cloak that concealed his face. But his eyes, behind those golden eyes there was nothing. No compassion, no remorse, only hatred. When I refused his offer of allowing the desert dwellers to settle here, he told me something terrible would happen to the princess. I laughed at first, but then a realized…" The King stopped there, unable to continue.

"And you are sure this was the same man who did this?"

"I know it in my bones Toboe."

"Alright then, I'll be off now," the youth said turning back to the door, "If what you say is true, then I should make it by midday tomorrow." With that, Toboe shifted back to his wolf form and plunged into the night, the storm now a distant memory.

"Farewell," the King muttered rising up from his throne. He headed towards the Princess's chambers to repeat what he had done for many nights now. Only this time, as he sat next to his sleeping daughter and prayed to the goddesses, he would add Toboe to them. Toboe, and the young hero who would break the spell and rid the land of the evil that tainted it.

** A/N: next chapter: Dinner with an Ordanian.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Couple of things before we start this chapter. First off you can now find this story in the TP world due to its similar locatons and overall layout. Second, I'd like to thank my first reviewer/follower Generala, thanks alot and I'm glad you like my OC. That's it for now guys enjoy.**

**Chapter 2:**

**The Silent Ordonian:**

Ordan, a quiet town where an honest, hardworking man is easy to find and no one is a stranger. This is where a young man by the name of Link resides, and although he does not know it, destiny has plans for him. Link, a usually quiet 16-year old, is generous, hardworking, humble, and selfless. His golden hair shaggy and shining as the sun sets, and his ocean blue eyes looking relived yet so full of energy. As the sky turned a red orange and everyone else was leaving, Link took one last look at the golden field before him. He sighed knowing fully well he had done a job well done; he deserved a full nights rest. Out of the corner of his Indigo eye, he saw his swords master (and at times caretaker) Rusl walk over to him.

"You've done well today Link," he commented placing a hand on the young man's shoulder, "No goats left in sight. Know what? Take the day off tomorrow. Think of it as a thank-you for everything you've done here." Link smiled and Rusl patted him on the back before turning to leave. Link went over to Epona, his horse, and guided her usedher rains to guide her back home.

The sky was just beautiful; Link loved this time of day, when he could just lie down next to the spring and gaze at the sky with t's many vivid colors all while feeding Epona some hard earned apple peelings and berries. Link loved his life, it was bliss, and he wished it would never change.

Passing the small wooden bridge to his house, Link spotted his childhood friend Ilia, along with one of the local children Beth, throwing stones at the river. When the two girls saw him, both waved at him and Link greeted them with a smile (Ila blushed lightly at this, but Link did not notice). He saw some of some of the other children running amuck such as Talo and Colin who were shooting each other with their sling-shots ,(Link had made them in his spare time, taking care in even the smallest of details) causing chaos at the general store. Link gave a laugh as both boys feel in the river and earned a stern look from both their parents. He turned and headed for home. Once they reached Link's tree house, the boy gave his mere an affectionate pat on the head as he stroked her white main. Once the gesture was done, Epona gave an energetic whinny and rode off, although Link was not worried for Epona always returned to him without fail.

Link climbed the ladder leading to his cozy home and stopped once inside. Part of him yearned for sleep, seeing as the work from today left him sore, but then again, tomorrow he would not need to report to the farm. So Link decided to bust the training dummies out. Because after all, training and hard work never killed anybody, so why not?

Link quickly got his sword and wooden shield from his small basement and set the dummies up in an open space. Aside from his work on the ranch, Link had been training part time to become a swordsman for about six years. (He practically surpassed Rusl when he was about twelve or thirteen) Link knew that one day, he would have to be the one to take arms and protect the village he called home, and although no real danger has ever reached Faron woods, he never let his guard down. He took his fighting stance like he was taught to do, and began to attack his wooden enemies. His swings were clean and his slashes were the work of a master. Link stepped back, crouched low on the ground, and did his own technique known as the "spin attack", knocking down two or three dummies off their poles.

Next, Link set up multiple red targets, scattering them across numerous trees of varying heights. Next, Link grabbed his wooden bow and quiver full of arrows (a birthday present from the mayor himself) and headed back outside. Archery was one of Link's favorite pass times aside from spending time with the children of Ordan. He liked it best while riding on Epona, feeling the air mess with his dirty blonde hair. But even he, skilled as he was at this, was rusty from weeks of not practicing due to working extra hours at the ranch. Most of the shots he made were clearly off target, although he was lucky enough to hit some of the targets. As he reached for his last arrow, Link closed his eyes and silently prayed to the goddess of strength to guide his arrow. And as if in response, he heard a whoop sound as he released the bow and when Link opened his eyes, one arrow dead on the mark stood from all the others. Link grinned, but before he took down the first of the training dummy, he quickly turned behind him, only to meet the growing darkness of the night.

Link blinked, was he being watched? It sure felt like it. But this feeling was not the same one he experience when he caught Colin or Ilia watching him train from afar, he actually felt like he was being watched as if he were prey. Link pushed the thoughts of monsters invading the town and quickly gathered his supplies. As he climbed up the ladder, he also took that with him inside; completely unaware that someone had indeed been watching him from the shadows.

Toboe had thanked the goddesses this would be his first and last stop on his search for the hero of Hyrule; sure he got there later than expected, but he found the person he was looking for. That mark on his left hand was proof enough, that boy would be destined for greater things. He was also exhausted from running all over the kingdom in his wolf form; part of it was also most of the monsters that roamed the land. Toboe saw most of them as a waste of time he could be spending searching for the hero, so he ignored most of them. There were however, some monsters that were equal to or far above the level of a demon in his homeland, and after that ugly run in with that pack of Moblins, Toboe put his foot down. But who was he to complain? He had faced stronger opponents that nearly killed him. A few spears thrown at him would not slow him down in the slightest.

The smell of food that came from the goat-herder's house invaded the wolf's nose, causing his mouth to water. He hadn't eaten a decent meal in around three days' time, and although Toboe had trained himself to go without food for long periods of time, the arousing smells that erupted from the house were making the beast go crazy. "Well, I am tired and hungry…No ,I can think about eating once we're on our way.* Toboe stepped out of the bush he was hiding in and looked at the ladder less tree house. *Guess I have to find another way up there.* One thing was for sure, there was no way he would barge into that guy's house. Toboe paced around the tree thinking of a way to get inside without turning the Hylian hostel, the aroma of food close to driving him insane. Finally, he gave up and curled himself into a ball. Perhaps after a nap he could come up with a solution to his dilemma. Without even meaning to, he did.

Toboe awoke with a warm quilt wrapped around his furry body. He found himself in mat near a warm looking bed. It took him a few seconds to realize he was in the Hylian's humble home. *Well,* Toboe thought looking around, *that was easy.* If he had to guess, Toboe figured the Hylian boy had heard him pacing outside his door and went out to investigate. Half expecting a monster, he took his sword and shield, what he found instead however was a sleeping wolf, and, for whatever reason, decided to shelter it from the night. *Why would he…* He began, but then he remembered what his kind has always done for the farmers and travelers. Whether it is guarding the peasants rice fields from boars, deer, and hares, to guiding lost travelers back to their doorsteps from the shadows, the wolf has been seen by many as a benevolent animal. Toboe guess the Hylian took him in out of thanks; a sure sign that the goddesses were watching.

And where was the young man now? Toboe only had to look at the small wooden table to find the answer. The Hylian was serving himself dinner from a boiling pot not far from the table. It smelled delicious and the wolf-boy couldn't help but lick his lips as a low whine escaped him. The Hylian turned to him and grinned, patting him lightly and then fetching another bowl for the wolf.

*Blast it,* the wolf thought to himself as his eyes darted around the room franticly, *Where is that letter the King gave me? I'm sure I had it with me when I was outside.* The wolf looked as if he was chasing his tail, which Link found amusing, he stopped when he felt the smooth sealed envelope beneath his paw. He scooped it up and handed it to the Hylian, who gave it a look of confusion before taking it.

It had the seal of the royal family on it; Link noticed this as he pulled out a chair and began to mentally read it with care:

_To whom it may concern, _

_If you are reading this, then you, my friend, are my only hope. I will make this letter brief, for I fear that both our time is short. A few nights before I wrote this, a man that descended from the desert dwellers stormed into my kingdom, demanding that I give part of my land to them. When I refused, rather than curse out death threats, the man merely smiled and told me to go see my daughter, and then perhaps I would reconsider. When I found her in her chambers, I thought for a minute my daughter had left me like my queen, but, I was mistaken. Even now, as you read this she lies in an enchanted sleep that is said to last an eternity. And what of the young dashing hero who would come and save her? That, my friend, is where you come in; you will be the princess's knight in shining armor. I know it is a great favor to ask of you, and I doubt I'll live to repay it, but I fear it must be done. Fear not, I know the journey ahead will be long and treacherous, and so, to ensure your safe return, I sent with this letter a guide._

When Link looked up from the letter, he looked as if he was going to faint right then and there, for n the place of the wolf stood a seventeen year old teen. The teen gave him a look, yawned, and gestured for him to keep reading the letter, as he himself went to fill his bowl with food.

_His name is Toboe. He is different, to put it lightly. Toboe hails from the lands east of the great sea; he is a Youkai, half man, half demon. To some, he is a monster, to you, he will be your protector and guide. The two of you will travel to a place untouched by man and time, a place where the goddesses themselves blessed; they call it the sacred lands. I wish I could tell you more my dear friend, but as I mentioned before, my time grows short for me and you. And so, I bid you farewell, and may the goddesses watch over you._

_-King Harkinian the first,_

_The last king of Hyrule_

Every word that was written on the paper was burned into Link's subconscious. The world seemed deathly quiet after that, save for Toboe quietly eating his bowl of stew and raising to refill his plate. Link was trying to process everything he just read, his eyes burning a hole to the wall next to Toboe. The Youkai noticed his intense staring and sighed. "Truthfully, the path of a hero is a lonely one." The hylian put the letter down and stared halfheartedly at his bowl of stew, watching the ingredients floating around the bowl. "Listen," Toboe said getting up and walking over to him, "I ganna be straight with you and not joke around, should you choose to accompany me, we will face impossible odds." The Hylian stared at him, the words 'should you choose' got his attention. "That's right; I'm giving you a choice." The Youkai said leaning back on the wall, "Why? Well, the answer is pretty darn obvious. I don't agree with Harkinian. I get his circumstances mind you, but a farm hand and a half demon isn't much of a threat against whatever's waiting for us out there. Like I said, I'm not ganna lie to you, the journey's ganna be long and hard, and honestly I can't promise that you'll come back home safely. But should you choose to stand with me, I'll teach you some techniques with that sword of yours and due everything I can to keep us safe. Besides, luck is with us, because we have the best weapon out there. You."

The Hylian pointed at himself, eyes widened in disbelief. The Youkai nodded his head and pointed to the symbol on his left hand, "Do you know what that is?" Toboe asked him, the boy shook his head. "Legends say all the great heroes of Hyrule carry a similar marking on their body. They were sure signs of them being the goddess chosen." He scoffed almost laughing, "I never believed a single word of it, back in my country, that idea was just simply ludicrous, that is until I met you. This is technically your destiny, but it's a destiny I won't force on you. " He extended his hand and Link was taken aback by the size of his nails. "So what do you say, Link of Ordan? It's your choice really, whether you want to come or not." Link thought it over for a moment. If what this boy said was true, then he had an entire life of adventures waiting for him; certainly better than working at a farm. But really, was it truly all worth it with all the danger that lay ahead? The Hylian decided to risk it. He smiled and firmly shook Toboe's hand. The wolf-boy took that as a yes.

"Hey Link," Toboe asked, the Hylian looked down at the Youkai who had curled himself into a ball on the floor. "You don't talk much do you?" Link simply shook his head. Toboe sighed, "Good, I'm starting to like you already."

**A/N: Next chapter: Attack of the demon witch**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Well...what can I say? My internet's been acting wierd lately (I can hardly get the thing to work right now) and I'm barely recovering from my recent visit to the doc. But whateves, I'll try not to take too long next time. **

**I had to rewrite this a couple of times before I can get it right, I also made it nice and long so enjoy.**

**In other news, Gabrielus Prime, thanks a lot for following this story too, hope you, and everyone else thats reading enjoy's it as much as I did typing it.**

**Chapter 3: **

**Attack of the demon witch:**

The night was still young and almost everyone in Ordan had succumbed to sleep, everyone except Toboe. The wolf-boy tried to shut his eyes, but sleep would not come to him. He found himself quietly leaving the tree house, making sure Link was fast asleep before he descended. *I need some time alone.* Toboe decided as he began walking away from the small village. He soon found himself in front of a small spring near the village, the Youkai shrugged and sat cross legged next to it, taking slow deep breaths. The familiar cool breeze of the wild greeted him and Toboe couldn't help but grin, this was one of the reasons why he didn't see eye-to-eye with the city folk. He just couldn't understand; how can a person live in such a crowded space and complain about it when there was a world out there ready to be explored? Toboe sighed and turned his gaze toward the stars. The heavens always fascinated the wolf-boy; he quickly noticed that one could not see the stars in their full beauty if one lived in a city. "The wonders they're missing out on," he muttered to himself as he traced lines on the sky with his fingers the way his mother showed him, his _real_ mother. A sudden movement from behind him stopped his train of thoughts.

Ilia had sneaked out of her house and headed to the spring, as she did every night. She would almost always find Epona there, and Ilia would stay with the mere until close to daybreak. Today, she had a million thoughts in her mind and so she headed to the spring to clear her head. The girl however, did not find Epona drinking from the icy waters as she usually did, instead, she spotted a boy she had never seen before lying next to the water's edge. This boy looked about a year older than her and was wearing clothes that did not belong to Ordan. She watched him for a few minutes as he began to trace the constellations with his fingers. Ilia leaned in a bit closer, from where she was standing…those fingers looked more like claws. She decided to let him be, but before she could turn around, she felt the snap of a small twig under her feet. Ilia held her breath as the boy turned around quickly. His unnatural red eyes glaring daggers at her. She saw the boy give a shrug and, right before her eyes, transform into a white beast. Ilia bit back her tongue to keep herself from screaming. The beast stared at his reflection in the water for the longest time and then sprinted back the way Ilia came, leaving the poor girl struggling from breath. Her mind was racing, should she tell someone about this? Should she not? Would they even believe her? Her head was beginning to hurt; she decided to return to her home for the time being. Who knows, perhaps this beast would be gone by the morning.

Toboe stopped suddenly in the middle of his tracks, his eyes darting back and forth in all directions. He began to sniff the ground like mad, hell bent on picking up the scent he smelled half a second ago. The wolf snarled in frustration as he began to circle himself, his nose glued to the ground. *I know that smell,* he mentally swore, *I've smelled it before…but where?* Toboe could tell that whatever it was, it was far away but still close enough for him to pick up a scent. And just like that, the scent disappeared. "This scent…it's not from here, that's for sure." He quickly pushed any thoughts of it being from the east and trotted back to Link's house, a bit upset he got all worked up for nothing.

Link awoke as the first rays of sunlight reached his face. The soon-to-be hero was greeted by the sight of his guest (In human form) sniffing the house like a blood hound. "There's that damn scent from last night!" he growled as he continued to sniff the ground, "And whatever it is, it's getting closer!" Link gave the Youkai a confused look before climbing out of his bed. It was clear Toboe didn't get much sleep last night, he must've been up all night trying to trace where this mysterious scent came from. As Link proceeded to leave, Toboe stopped him. "Listen to me Link, whatever you do, do NOT wonder far from the village, not even to the woods. There's a weird scent that's been driving me crazy all night, and whatever it is, it's not human." Link nodded slowly before he descended the ladder.

Link traveled the village with caution. Lucky for him, no one seemed to notice how nervous he was at the moment. How beads of sweat were beginning to form on his head, how his hands clenched themselves into fists, how he suddenly found it hard to breathe while everyone else seemed fine. Suddenly, as Link was wiping the sweat off his forehead, he noticed the symbol in his left hand began shining a faint golden color. Link gasped in surprise and wonder, the words of the Youkai rang in his head:

_"Legends say that all the great heroes of Hyrule carry a similar marking on their body, a sure sign that they are the goddesses chosen."_

Did this mean that everything Toboe said about him was true? Was he really this great, prophesied hero that was destined for greater things than goat herding? The questions in his halted once she saw her childhood friend Ilia waving at him. Taking a deep breath and trying to his best to relax, Link jogged over to her. "You didn't stay up too late did you Link?" she asked noticing the bags under his eyes. Link shook his head, lying because he had stayed up late eating supper with Toboe. "Oh that's right," she suddenly remembered, "Rusl gave you the day off today, lucky you." She said with a smile, Link returned the gesture. "Well, seeing as you have almost nothing to do today, would you like to accompany me and Beth to the fields?" Link nodded, taking one last look back to where his home was, then following Ilia.

"Great Goddesses above!" Toboe gagged as he raced towards the only open window in Link's house to get some fresh air, "what in the name of Din is that stench? It reeks of the dead!" Toboe had been raiding Link's stash of food, when all of a sudden, the scent from earlier came back tenfold. Once Toboe got over the shook of how horrendously awful the smell was, he noticed two things. One that the scent was now without a doubt coming from the east (He thanked the goddesses it wasn't from the west, if it was, he would certainly be dead on the spot), and two, within the foul stench of the dead was something else. It was the smell of fresh blood, human blood.

Link felt the uneasy feeling that he had earlier slowly begin to leave him as he, Ilia, and Beth walked towards the corn fields overlooking the village. Link still had the urge to look back as if he was expecting to see Toboe walking (Or trotting, depending on his form) up the hill to join them. Then again, that scent from the morning got him real worked up; he was probably off hunting it down somewhere. That was when Link noticed the worried look on Ilia's face.

"Link," she sighed, "I asked you to come here with me because I don't feel safe here anymore." She was looking down to the ground, as if she would find answers there. Link knitted his brows, his eyes full of concern. Not once had Ilia felt unsafe here, this place had always been her special sanctuary, among all her friends and family. "Not after last night, when I saw _it._"

"It," Beth asked as she stopped her work, her voice full of curiosity. "What was it?"

"It-it was some sort of monster, one that I've never seen before." Her voice was full of worry, "it took the form of a human," she continued, "and then, all of a sudden, I-I see it transform into this four legged white beast with furious red eyes. Link, I was so scared!"

A white beast with red eyes? That description matched Toboe's wolf form to the letter. Ilia must've seen Toboe while he was out last night. The horrible thought of Ilia warning the rest of the village revealed itself inside the youths head, but he quickly dismissed it.

"There's nothing to be afraid of Ilia," Beth reassured, "Link can find it. Link can do anything!" The youth had to smile at the child. You see to them, he was invincible. In realty however, he was only a normal human, who would eventually meet his grave sooner or later. If he told them that however, they would never believe him. "You'll protect us, right Link?"

The Hylian boy nodded slowly, saddened by the fact that he was lying to them, for he and Toboe would be leaving tonight. However, upon seeing the boy's selflessness, Ilia relaxed and looked as if the world had been lifted off her shoulders. A long silence followed, and before either of the three could break it, Uli, Rusl's wife and Colin's mother came running towards them, sobbing.

"Goddesses," Ilia said trying in vain to help the woman calm down, "what has happened?" She began to slowly rub circles on the woman's back, and soon her trembling stopped, but there was still fear in her eyes.

"It's…its Colin…" she said below a whisper, and then her trembling returned, "There's something in the woods…something evil. It has him, I'm sure of it!" everyone froze. Ilia began crying with the woman, Beth's eyes widened in fear, and Link was in utter shock. He stared off to the direction in which Uli came, his mind racing. If he went to Rusl, it would be too late by the time he got there. It was also a long walk from here to his house, so Toboe was out of the question. Link was weaponless, still, he began advancing towards the woods, hearing Toboe's warning still ringing in his ears. Soon he began hearing pleas to turn around and gather the men from the village, but by then Link was already jogging towards the woods.

*No, no, no!* the words kept playing over in the Youkai's mind as he rushed outside, not caring if anyone saw him. *How could I have been so stupid? Why didn't I notice it before-Damn myself!* Toboe began jumping from tree to tree, catching the attention of some of the by passers below. "What if I'm too late? What if that hag's already feasted? Knowing her, she'd look for a newborns flesh, and if she can't find that…" His worries rested heavily on the village children, their lives were now at stake. "As long as it hasn't eaten yet, I should-" He stopped his thoughts as he sniffed another scent not too far from where the demon was. That scent smelled clean, yet a hint of the earth still lingered there. Toboe's eyes widened as he realized what was going on. "You unbelievable idiot, even after I told you to stay near the village!" The wolf-boy now ran at full speed towards the woods, mentally cursing the young Hylian for either his bravery or stupidity.

Link kept a steady pace as he continued on towards the woods, not too fast to run out of breath, but not too slow either. The sensation from earlier now wrapping around him like a cocoon, nearly choking him. Uli was right about there being something sinister here, and if he were a betting man, he'd say this is the same monster Toboe was searching for. Before he knew what was happening, Link saw a streak of white and was suddenly thrown backwards into a tree. "No you don't," he heard the impatient growl of the wolf-boy. "You are staying out of this Link, like it or not. You're afraid," he said staring at him seriously, "she'll just use that against you. Go back to the village and wait for me there." Link watched him disappear into the woods before standing back up. The Hylian blinked, was that truly fear he felt a few moments ago? It felt as if a sword was piercing his throat, his knees suddenly felt weak, but he somehow managed to stand. Link almost considered Toboe's offer to wait for him back at the village, then he saw Colin's bow and arrows (It was actually Rusl's, but the youth was so eager to learn he would often take them without his father noticing.). He picked them from the ground, making up his mind as he did so. He would help save the young Colin, despite what the Youkai said.

Toboe landed on the soft soil and looked around, she was here somewhere. This particular witch had an old grudge with the wolf lords children, so naturally, the hatred would also be carried over to Toboe even though the two never met. Even so, there was no way he'd let innocent people get dragged into his messes.*Where is that damn hag?* he thought to himself looking around, *Even a pup could-" A large dagger that barely missed caught his attention. He turned to face his attacker. Toboe had dealt with a few witches before, but this one not only looked different in appearance, there was something different about her. She stood towering over a normal human by a surprising two feet; her hunched back was visible within her black robe. She was barefoot like the wolf-boy, but her feet, along with her hands were more skeletal and bony. The tangled mess of hair she had on her head covered her face and was coated in dirt and mud. That being said, Toboe still noticed the three eyes. She had two empty sockets were a human had his eyes, and then there was the closed one on her forehead. "Good goddesses," Toboe muttered loud enough for her to hear "are you ugly."

The witch smiled at this, revealing her rotting yellow teeth and causing Toboe to shudder. Seeing the witch pull out another dagger, the wolf-boy lunged for her. He was surprised when the witch evaded his attack with alarming speed. Before Toboe turned, the witch threw another dagger at him; this one had a sickly green aura around it, it easily pierced his kosode. Toboe felt an invisible force pin him to the nearest tree as if it were a magnet and he were made of metal. Suddenly, the Youkai felt numb all over and could barely find the strength to lift his hand to the hilt. When his flesh made contact, it felt as if acid had been poured on his hand. "What the…a…binding spell…damn you…"

"That should keep ye busy for a while," the witch crackled turning away from him and turning her attention to the trembling blonde boy trying desperately to look for a way out. "Once I've properly eaten, and dealt with you, I can begin my search for that pesky Hylian boy."

*So this monster's after Link, eh?* Toboe smirked, "Sorry to rain on your parade lady, but the guy you're looking for is long gone."

"What!" the witch croaked, a fire started in her eye sockets, "That's impossible!"

"Yup, miles and miles away from this village where you can't reach him, wanna know what the best part is? Even if you manage to get me to talk, and even if you manage to find him, you'll never best him, he's too good."

"You lie!"

"Try me," the wolf-boy dared, the witch cursed under her breath and actually looked lost in thought. "I was considering on telling you where he is, but seeing as I'm bound to this tree, it's not happening." Toboe looked pasted the witch to see the trembling Colin, trying despite to curl himself into a ball and somehow disappear from this nightmare. "Besides, I don't think you'll be able to comprehend where he is, seeing as whatever's left of your bran rotted away long ago."

The demon stomped over to where he was, the foul smell made Toboe want to throw up all his breakfast. "You dare make a mockery of me?" she barked at his face, "I'll make you suffer beyond humanly possible, I'll-" she stopped midsentence and frowned, looking at him up and down, sniffing loudly like a bloodhound as she did so. "You're not just any ordinary human," she said in something that resembled a growl, "who are you? And why does your scent seem familiar?"

Toboe rolled his eyes, "Oh for the goddesses sake, you really are as stupid as they come aren't you? Why don't you take a closer look?"

The old hag did so, studying his face closely. She took a step back and pointed a bony finger at him. "You…you're the…." She was cut short when an arrow almost shot her finger off.

Link emerged from behind Toboe, accompanied by Ilia, Beth, and Talo, the latter three showing fear as they laid eyes on the creature before them. The first thing that flashed into Toboe's mind was the _last_ time a human (Hylian or otherwise) tried to kill a notorious demon with a manmade weapon. At first he thought that the event would repeat with Link, but then he noticed a few details. For one thing, the fear Toboe smelled on him earlier was now completely gone, it was replaced with an ungodly amount of determination. *He's not even shaking,* Toboe thought in amazement, *this boy's actually standing his ground to a demon that's massacred entire villages in the dead of night.* He glanced over to where the village children were, and then it hit him. Of course Link wasn't afraid, he couldn't be afraid, he was doing this for _them._

"I knew I smelled a lie coming from you," the witch accused, and then turning her attention towards Link, she began stepping closer. "And you I presume are the Hylian Link of Ordan." The Hylian stared in disbelief, "Oh yes," the witch smiled a cold, sickening smile, "I know much about you boy."

Seeing Link against that monster and armed only with arrows made Ilia nervous, no more than that, terrified was more like it. She felt Talo's grip tighten as the witch got closer to Link, who in turn had his bow ready. "…Hey…hey girl…." She heard a weak voice rasp next to her. She turned to her left and found herself staring at the demon that she saw in the spring last night. "Do…do you…think you can pull this dagger…f-from my chest…?"

Ilia looked between Link, the witch, and the demon pinned to a tree. Her hands were trembling and her heart beat had increased drastically. Finally, she summed up the courage to speak, it was a small quiet murmur, but even so the wolf-boy heard her. "No." she said simply.

"Look," he winced, it was clear it hurt just to talk, "all you have to do is-" but Ilia cut him off seeing as he could do nothing about it.

"I mean I won't do it."

Toboe gave her a surprised look, but before he could speak, he heard the witch laugh, "A wise decision girl," she said gesturing towards the bounded half demon, "even a human like you knows better than to trust a demon, especially, a half breed."

"Half breed," Ilia parroted, "what…what does that mean?"

"The youth you see bound to the tree is only half human, you see, demonic blood flows through his veins. He is a Youkai, son of one the most feared demon generals in the underworld and a human wife. That's why his scent reeks of that accursed wolf demon and his whole litter of children."

Ilia was now panicking, who could she trust; the revolting hag in front of her, or the half human at her mercy? She almost went over to where he was, when Talo stopped her with wide eyes, "Don't," he practically begged, "he's…he's a monster!"

"Yeah I admit it," Toboe said, no longer caring about the pain, "I'm a Youkai just like the hag says I am, but think of it like this: At least with me, you have a fighting chance, whereas that pathetic excuse for a living being who has not one drop of human blood is ganna eat you all alive!"

"WATCH. YOUR. TOUNGE!" the enraged demon screeched, lunging at him this giving Link the opportunity for a clear shot. The thing that shocked Toboe most was the fact that he didn't even tell Link to aim for her third eye. The boy just automatically aimed for it, and he was as stunned as Toboe was.

"Look," Toboe snapped, startling Ilia, "we don't have a lot of time before she yanks that outta her skull, Link might have practically blinded her, but that will only stop her for so long. So what are you ganna do? Live or die?" Ilia stared at the witch who was swatting the air with her nails, shouting curses to the sky.

Ilia gulped, "If I only had those two choices…then, I choose to live!" She took the dagger out of the wolf-boy's chest. The witch had already pulled the bloody arrow from her third eye when she noticed the Youkai on his knees.

"…Now…" he spoke with a growl, his red eyes blazing at the demon in front of him, "you can stay and die, or you can walk your ugly ass back east where you came from."

"I have retreated far too many times already," the witch spat in anger, "and I will not do so again!" Once again with lightning fast speed, she lunged at Toboe. "I will not be bested by a half breed, especially not a filthy Okami runt!"

"Disgusting hag!" Toboe sneered; he then leaped into the air and began spinning in midair. "Take this, _Soul-Scattering Iron Claws!" _Instantly a golden light surrounded the wolf boy, then like a buzz saw, it cut the demon witch like warm butter. Not kill the demon, just mortally wound her. *The things practically blind and half dead…* He began to walk away, beckoning to the blonde boy who had his eyes closed the entire time. Slowly, he began to approach the group, and then as he saw Rusl and Uli along with half the village arrived, he ran towards his parents. Rusl instantly dropped his sword and ran towards his son, seeing this caused Link to smile. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the fallen witch twitch before springing back to life. Before anyone could react, Link quickly retrieved Rusl's fallen sword and with one swing, obliterated the demon. She gave a final agonizing cry, cursing n another language, before reducing to nothing but dust as Link dropped the sword, shaking violently. Everyone, save for Toboe who only stared at the boy in both amazement and confusion. *This is the first time he's ever killed something.* He realized, seeing that Link was struggling to breath, *Up until now, Link's only enemies have been those wooden dummies he trained with. He's never actually killed anything, and hell, I'd be scared if I took down the witch mother of the east!*

Beth who had been quiet all this time, mouth a gap, gave a big grin. "THAT. WAS. AWSOME!" Everyone laughed as the child began to jump up and down and run around excitedly.

Toboe cleared his throat, "This is your last chance Link; whenever you're ready, we leave. However, you can turn away from this. Keep in mind, that witch is the equivalent of a fly compared to some of the evils we'll have to face."

The Hylian was silent for the longest time, looking back to the villagers then at the Youkai, slowly he nodded, beginning to get over the shock. "If you're going it leave, take this," Rusl said handing him his sword, "and always remember us Link."

"You ready to go now?" Toboe asked, the boy nodded, a smile beginning to form. "Alright then, let's go save Hyrule."

**A/N: Next chapter: The girl that came from the well and the Shiekah assassin.**


End file.
